Lollapalooza Day 2: Rain, retro and Eminem

August 07, 2011|Greg Kot | Music critic

9:55 p.m.: Eminem rushes through a career’s worth of hits, usually truncating them as if in a race to fit as many as possible into a 90-minute set. Bruno Mars makes a quick cameo to sing the hook from the MC’s latest single, “Lighters,” and then exits, never to be seen again. It makes for a quick survey of past accomplishments rather than a truly engaging and engaged performance. The rapper born Marshall Mathers avoids some of the more starkly violent songs from earlier in his career, and instead focuses on his own struggles in recent tracks such as “Not Afraid” and “Love the Way You Lie.” He strives to portray himself as a more mature artist who has learned from his mistakes. In the most telling moment, he threatens to take a swig of vodka, only to spring several “leaks” from a rigged hoodie after he swallows. “Give my man a hand for staying sober this long,” says hype man Kon Artis. It’s not a moment played for laughs or dark humor; indeed, the set is strangely devoid of any levity at all as Eminem performs with a nearly joyless, workmanlike focus. “Can I take you back when I was (screwed up)?” Eminem says. Then he strings together snippets from songs such as “My Name Is,” “The Real Slim Shady” and “Without Me” that made him one of the most notorious figures in pop culture, and also one of the most popular. Now, post-rehab he has become just as successful, but you’re left wondering whether he’s enjoying it. (GK)